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4 (200g) packages 5% fat soft white cheese (gvina levana), drained at least for 2 hours
Pre-heat oven to 180°C to 200°C.
Whip egg whites with the sugar until firm and shiny.
In another bowl, mix yolks with cheese and all dry ingredients. Very carefully, add the egg whites to the mixture using a spatula.
Place mix in a springform baking pan (oiled and dusted with flour) and bake 10 minutes at 200°C. Reduce the heat to 100C, and continue baking 1 hour. In order to get a brown topping, you might want to bake another 10 minutes at 200°C. (I didn't.)
Release the cake by running a knife all around the edges. Let cool in the oven, leaving the door half opened. Once cold, you can open the springform pan.
Has to be kept in the fridge. Taste improves tremendously the next day.
Poster's Notes:
I used 5 packets of vanilla sugar, and added vanilla extract; next time I will use only vanilla extract.
Baseless cake, very similar to ones sold in pastry shops and served in coffee shops here in Israel. I would add, even better!
There was a discussion here about gevina levana. Evidently it is a uniquely Israeli cheese. I sub real cram cheese (30% fat) when we are not dieting and want a richer flavor. So a Philadelphia or Neufchatel (lower in fat) type of cheese would work.
Gvina levana isn't such a great tasting cheese. In fact, it's pretty tasteless, but cheap, low-fat, and a staple in Israel. It is also very watery, which is why all the recipes have a package of vanilla pudding to thicken it and give it artificial taste.
Posted by Viviane Barzel
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A
8 eggs, separated
1-1/3 cup sugar
8 tablespoons flour
About 4 tsp. baking powder
7 packages vanilla sugar
1 cup of sugar was more than enough to my taste.